Electric clock.



R. D. HIGKOK ELECTRIC CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1908.

Pautented Aug. 10, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT ROBERT D. HICKOK, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA.

ELECTRIC CLOCK.

Application filed November 5, 1908.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT D. I-Irorron, citizen of the United States, residing at Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and use- 'ful Improvements in Electric Clocks, of which the following is a specification.

In my Patent No. 904,128, dated Nov. 17, 1908, there is disclosed an electric clock mechanism for actuating a pendulum by means of electro-magnets at a minimum beat, the mechanism operating to close the circuit of the magnets at intervals. In said patent the circuit-closing devices are coniined or applied only to the clock in which said mechanism is contained. The present invention is an improvement on or addition to said mechanism, having for its object to provide improved means for operating secondary clocks, at predetermined intervals, and forming a system in which the master clock is actuated at the minimum beat, and in which the secondary clool-zs are actuated at predetermined intervals, such as once a minute, the master clock mechanism being utilized for both purposes.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a diagram of the system show ing the electrical connections; Figs. 2 and 3 are elevations 01 the master clock mechanism in different positions; Fig. 4 is a detail in section on the line 44 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of part of the circuit closing means.

Referring specifically to the drawings, P indicates the pendulum "frame carrying the armature V which is pivoted at o to vibrate between the poles of the electro-magnets X and W. G indicates a circular bridge or bearing support in which is mounted for vibration an arbor T which carries an arm F which stops against a shoulder f on the bridge, and which causes its position at rest to be as shown in Fig. 1. From the arm F is suspended, by a pivot a, an inverted V- shaped pendant A, pivoted at the angle at the top. The lower end of one arm 01' the pendant has a projecting piece B, which is notched on the under side and which projects backwardly from the pendant A. The arbor T carries a flat insulated spring H to which the wire L 01 one side of the circuit is connected, and the wire K on the other side terminates in a screw J with which the spring H contacts. These parts are substantially Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

Serial No. 461,171.

the same as those described in the above mentioned patent, to which reference is made for a more detailed description. as described in said patent, when the pendulum reaches its minimum beat, the pin C which is carried by the pendulum i'ranie will catch in the notch or groove on the under side of the iece B, and when the pendulum swings to the left will lift said pendant and the arm F and close the circuit between spring H and contact J, thereby imparting an impulse to the armature V by means of the electro-magnets; and continued swing of the pendulum to the left disengages the pin C from the piece B and the parts resume their normal position and operation until the minimum oscillation is again reached, when the operation for closing the circuit is repeated. This operates the master or primary clock indicated at 1.

The apparatus -for use in connection with secondary clocks, indicated at 2, 3 and 4, is as follows: 6 indicates an arbor carrying a gear 7 which meshes with a pinion 8 on the arbor 9 which carries or may carry a seconds hand of the primary clock, although this is not material. This arbor has thereon a disk wheel 10 having a rearwardly projecting pin 11 which at each rotation 01' the arbor is adapted to strike the inclined head 12 of a lever 13 which is pivoted at 14 to the back plate of the movement. The upper arm of this lever carries a non-conducting block 15 which is adapted to strike a spring contact piece 16 fixed to a post 17 on the back plate, and the spring is connected at its fixed end by a wire 18 to the wire leading to the mag nets X and \V. The free end of the spring is adapted to strike a contact screw 10 fitted in a binding post 20, which is connected by a wire M to the secondary clock circuit which is completed by a wire m through the battery N and to the wire K which terminates at the contact J and thus to the circuit closing devices 01" the primary clock. The lower arm of the lever 13 projects to a position in j the path of the pin C, which, as described in my said patent, projects from a block 0 car ried by a flat spring D attached at its upper end to the pendulum 'l'rame P. The arbor 9 also carries a ratchet 22 which is engaged by a pawl 23 carried by the upper end of the pendulum frame I for the purpose 01' turning the ratchet and the arbor 9 at each swing to the right 01' the pendulum. Back slip is prevented by a detent 24 having a projecting pin 25 and a lower arm with a weight 26 which causes the pin to engage the ratchet after each movement thereof. The lower end of the lever 13 is so positioned that when actuated or swun to the left it will strike and stop the pin C in position directly under the piece B, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, causing said pin to catch in said piece and close the circuit as above described.

In operation, starting with a vibration of the pendulum and its frame to the right, sairvibration turns the arbor 9 and finally by continued vibrations the pin 11 is brought in contact with the head 12 of the lever 18 thereby swinging the upper arm of the lever outwardly and pressing the spring 16 against the contact 19. The same action causes the lower end of the lever to stop the pin 0 and to close the circuit at J by the means already described. When these contacts are made as described the circuit is closed through the magnets and also through the secondary clocks. One circuit is through the magnet coils and the battery and the other branch of the circuit is through the secondary clocks to the battery. The arbor 9 being rotated once a minute, say, will thus close the secondary clock circuit once each minute, and this circuit may be utilized in said clocks, for the operation thereof, in any way desired. The battery power is made such that the contact which is thus made at every minute is not sufficient to maintain the vibration of the pendulum; therefore the contact maker described in my said patent, and which operates at the minimum beat, will also be actuated whenever it is necessary to maintain the vibration of the pendulum, but these contacts which occur at the minimum beats and which will take place between the periodical minute contacts, will not operate the secondary clocks, as the switch contact between the spring 16 and part 19 is not closed. To resume: The apparatus will operate to actuate the magnets of the primary clock whenever it is necessary to give an impulse to the pendulum to maintain its movement, and will further operate at each minute (or other selected interval) to close the circuit of the secondary clocks and thereby operate the same.

The apparatus may be modified in various ways within the scope of the invention, and no limitation is implied by reason of the particular devices shown and described.

I claim:

1. In an electric clock system, the combination with a primary clock having an operating circuit, and a secondary clock having an operating circuit in shunt to said circuit, of means controlled by the primary clock to simultaneously close both circuits.

2. In an electric clock system, the combination with a primary clock having a pendulum actuated operating circuit, and a secondar T clock having operating circuit in eluding part of said circuit, of means to close the former circuit at minimum beats of the pendulum, and means including part of said means and controlled by the primary clock to close the latter circuit at predetermined intervals.

3. In an electric clock system, the combination with a primary clock having a pendulum-actuated operating circuit, and a secondary clock having an operating circuit including part of said circuit, of means to close the former circuit at minimum beats of the pendulum, and means controlled by the primary clock to close both the circuits at pre determined intervals.

4. In an electric clock system, the combination with a primary clock having a pendulum-actuated operating circuit, and a secondary clock having an operating circuit in shunt to said circuit, of means to close the circuit of the primary clock at intervals, and means to close the circuit of the secondary clock at other intervals.

5. In an electric clock system, the combination with a primary clock having a pendulum-actuated operating circuit, and a secondary clock having an operating circuit in shunt to said circuit and with a circuit-closer therein, of a circuit-closer operated by minimum beat of the pendulum to close the circuit of the primary clock, and means actuated by the pendulum to operate both of the said circuit-closers at predetermined intervals.

6. In an electric clock, the combination of a swinging pendulum frame and an operating circuit, means to close said circuit, including a circuit closer, and a spring-supported device which swings with the frame and which operates the circuit closer at i inimum beat, a stop movable into the path of said device, to arrest its swing at the minimum point, and means actuated by the pendulum to so advance said stop at predetermined intervals.

7. In an electric clock system, the combination of swinging pendulum frame and an operating circuit, means to close saidcircuit at minimum swing of the frame, including a circuit closer and a spring supported device which swings with the frame and which operates the circuit closer at minimum beat, a stop movable into the path of said device, to arrest its swing at the minimum point, a secondar T clock and its circuit in shunt to the said circuit including a circuit closer, and means actuated by the pendulum to simultaneously advance the stop and operate the circuit-closer of the circuit of the secondary clock at predetermined intervals.

8. In an electric clock system, the combination of a swinging pendulum frame and an operating circuit, means to close said circuit at minimum swing of the frame, including a circuit-closer and a spring supported device to swing the lever at predetermined intervals, 1 which swings with the frame and which operto stop said device and to operate the last ates the circuit-closer at minimum beat, a mentioned circuit closer. I lever movable into the path of the said de- In testimony whereof, I a'l'fix my signature vice, to arrest its swing at the minimum in presence of two witnesses.

point, a secondary clock and its circuit in ROBERT D. HIOKOK.

shunt to the said circuit and including a cir- Witnesses: cuit closer in position to be operated by the JOHN B. WooDs, lever, and means actuated by the pendulum O. R. JAMEs. 

